First few days

I feel terribly lazy and unmotivated about updating this blog, but I must! I've put it off till this long. I'm typing this while watching Jon and Kate Plus 8. I'm a bad multi-tasker...

5/19/09
After a lunch of spicy Chinese noodles (YUM!) my mom made, we headed off to the airport, arriving at about 2PM or so. A ton of army guys and girls (or maybe they were in the Marines?) happened to be there as well. I initially couldn't find my flight on those check-in kiosks because I searched for Keflavik rather than JFK. My mom finally parked and came back to find me. I figured out my error and finished everything. The screen told me to wait for assistance. I waited for a good 5 minutes, and nobody ever came to check my travel documents. It was irritating. But finally we got that sorted out, I got my ticket, and checked my luggage. After going through security, it was only 3, and my flight wasn't until 4:25. I got a Chai Tea Frappuccino at Starbucks because I knew I'd be there for a while. I sat at my gate (C24?) for a good while listening to my iPod. I was in an aisle of one because this couple took my actual seat. The flight was supposed to be 1:50 long, but we got to JFK early, around 5:55 rather than 6:15 as expected. I was in Terminal 8, and my gate was in Terminal 7. I walked around frantically trying to find out how to get there and finally found the AirTrain.

By the time I got into the Terminal, it was only 6:30PM, and my flight wasn't until 8:35 PM. The terminal was for flights to Europe, and everyone was so damn well-dressed. I forget that just because Americans tend to dress sloppily, others actually pay attention to what they're wearing. There were also stores with Prada, Chloe, Hermes bags. I ended up getting McDonald's for dinner-Chicken BLT Sandwich and a Chipotle Barbecue Snack Wrap. The sandwich was extremely slippery, and I made a huge mess. I tried to glean free Internet for about 30 minutes, but that didn't work so well, and I ended up deleting all the existing network connections saved on the computer. I people-watched for a really long time, just watching the people walk by and envying how stylish they were, even while traveling. These two Spanish guys sat next to me, and I eavesdropped...ahaha. I could understand most of what they were saying. I realized it was almost 7:55PM, when the plane was due to board. I rushed back, but the plane ended up arriving late, so we didn't board until 9PM. I ended up sitting next to this Icelandic couple that didn't speak any English. They had these little screens on the backs of the seats with movies and TV shows-Slumdog Millionaire, Garden State, Arrested Development, How I Met Your Mother. They also had albums for streaming-Damien Rice, MGMT, etc. They also had little games in which you could learn languages. Being the lucky person I am, the screen froze within a few minutes before the plane was about to leave. There was no free meal offered, but there was a menu (matsedill?). I ate my McDonald's Snack Wrap. Slumdog was really good, but I don't know if it was worthy of 8 Oscars. The trip was a bit cramped.

5/20/09
Even though the plane left at 10PM, we still got to Keflavik on time, around 6AM. There was an overwhelming scent of sulfur, which I found out later Went through passport checking and stuff. Exchanged money and got my Flybus ticket. The scenery on the way there was quite bizarre. Lots of cute little houses. There were a bunch of random statues. Two were on opposite shores facing each other-a couple, I imagine. There was actually a Chinese family on the bus, but I couldn't figure out what to say to them. Saw a bunch of people riding bikes around. I got to the bus station at 7:45 AM as expected. Raquel, the subletter, came to pick me up a few minutes past 8. I was freaking out a bit because I couldn't figure out how to work the cell phone in Iceland. Lugged the suitcase to the flat 15-20 minutes away.

Met Georg, one of the flatmates. We talked for a bit, then I took a nap from 10AM-2PM because I was exhausted. I slept in Oliver's room because he was gone. The floor was really uncomfortable, so I moved into the bed. They were doing some sort of construction work, and they were hammering loudly. Raquel woke me up around 2 to see if I wanted to come along as she ran errands. I was still really disoriented at this point. Met Solvi, the Icelandic flatmate. It realized how little I knew I was doing. She asked me what I was planning to do the next day and whether or not I cooked. I didn't know the answer to either of those questions...stopped at Bonus, the cheapest grocery store. It was nice walking along Laugarvegur though. Stopped in some thrift stores and souvenir shops. I was starving and bought a hot dog. On the way back, I bought some groceries. Even though the store was tiny, it was a bit overwhelming as I never grocery shopped for necessities before. That is why I am now stuck with a 3-pound bag of digestive biscuits. They make you pay for plastic bags at Bonus, which is a really good idea actually. Saw many more Asians than I had anticipated.

I set up the Internet on my laptop and facebooked for a bit. For dinner, Raquel invited me to dinner with 5 her friends. We went to Kitchen, this Nepalese/Indian restaurant. The food was quite expensive, at mostly over 2,000 kronur. I got curry lamb kebab and salad. They gave us this crunchy bread with four sauces for an appetizer. It took them over an hour to serve our dishes, which was annoying. I was exhausted, but I just listened to their conversations, which were awkward for me yet very entertaining (i.e. sex lives and such...). We got there at 7 and didn't leave till 9. I headed back to the flat to shower and sleep. My first time showering here was really strange, as the hot water smelled like rotten eggs. It felt rather counterintuitive to shower in water that smelled so bad. ahaha. The tub also has drainage issues.

5/21/09

I didn't wake up the next day until around 1:30 PM or so. Had a bagel, hummus, and banana for brunch. Raquel took out all her uneaten food for us to scavenge through and left for the bus station. I think I watched some Jon and Kate Plus 8, Skyped, and then wandered around outside for a while. I went to look at Hallgrimskirkja, the big church, but it is under construction, unfortunately. Wandered around the residential neighborhoods a bit, and they were really cute. Went to Núðluhúsið, a Thai restaurant. I got soup noodles because it was pretty chilly outside. I chilled in my room some more. Georg was leaving and left me the leftover vegetable lasagna he made.

5/22/09
I think I slept in this day too. Didn't leave the room until the afternoon. Met one of Solvi's friends who just got back from China. They were going to go "swimming in the ocean," which apparently was more like hot tubbing, running into the water, and running back into the hot tub. ahaha. They invited me out of niceness, but I decided not to go. Left and wandered around some more, not just on Laugurvegur. Bought a caramel bun at a bakery. I got lost and stumbled upon a Chinese restaurant (Kinahúsið). I wanted to go in but the door was locked?? I was looking for the Sea Baron, out by the harbor, but I went on a route that follows a pretty big street and got lost. I somehow ended up back at the Chinese restaurant, where I got shrimp and rice for dinner. The hostess/waitress there is really nice. I think I stumbled upon Tjonn (the pond) and this random plaza, where there were a bunch of Americanized restaurants.

Oliver, the other flatmate got back that evening.

5/23/09
I somehow managed to sleep from 2AM to 2PM that day...I woke up multiple times because I smelled delicious food wafting in, but I had a really bizarre dream, and I wanted it to continue, so I kept sleeping. I ate the rest of my caramel bun that got kind of stale. I left at around 3 to go to Kolaportið, the flea market. Looked for some ram's testicles and putrefied shark but didn't see any. There wasn't that much aside from books, vintage clothing, and maybe....sunglasses? It was close to the Sea Baron, so I finally found my way there. I got lobster soup, which came with crusty bread, and a lobster kebab. There was an Asian family from Malaysia that spoke to me in Chinese. It was nice talking to someone...ahaha. The soup was quite good, but a tad bit too salty, the bread and BUTTER was quite good too. The kebab was a bit overcooked. My mom's lobster is still THE BEST. ahaha. I walked back to Tjonn and watched people feed the ducks. I think I wanted around the pond a few times. That day was super windy and rather cold.

After I got back to the flat, I talked to Oliver for a bit. He was basically like, "so you have no friends here?" and then invited me to see a movie with him. ahaha. Quite sad but nice of him. There was also a huge array of gummy candy. We saw Angels and Demons, which was actually quite good. Apparently at Icelandic theatres, they have a really random intermission in the middle of the movie, no matter what is happening. The theatre was pretty comfy though, and the seats had a neck cushion and TWO arm rests in between people, reducing awkward elbow-bumping. After the movie was over, the people just dashed out of there in like...a minute.

5/25/09
I went to have brunch with a couchsurfer. Got a sandwich with cheese, ham, and a fried egg. She was really nice, and we talked about random stuff. I found out Icelanders like a lot of the same music as I do. Indie music seems pretty popular here. Talked about our dislike for bugs. Her trip to Nepal and India. We talked for about 3 hours, but didn't really touch upon folklore...ahaha. I was feeling really dizzy and light-headed for some reason.

I realized there was a much shorter way to get to Tjonn, which was nice. Chilled in the flat for a bit. I learned that swine flu had arrived in Iceland. Felt even more light-headed. I watched the Da Vinci Code. It was pretty crappy. Went back to that Chinese restaurant for dinner. Got beef and leek. And now I'm finally done updating this and watching more Jon and Kate Plus 8. I also opened my first can using a handheld canopener, not the ghetto Chinese one I've been using. Sadly, I had to ask Lara, using a webcam, to figure out how to use it, which is rather pathetic.

I have a huge craving for gummies, but they are HELLA expensive here. Sigh. I should've had the foresight to bring some with me..

There are a lot of babies here in Reykjavik. Icelandic babies are so freaking adorable. Especially when they're all bundled up and sitting on their parents' shoulders? It kills me!

The nice thing about Reykjavik is that when I get lost, I can always wander back to a familiar street. In getting lost, I find restaurants and cafes I've read about and make a mental note to go back there eventually.

I've been wearing the same thing pretty much my entire trip here-cranberry AA hoodie, a gray or black shirt, skinny jeans, tennis shoes, and an extra cardigan and jacket if it's extra cold.

I've scouted out some lunch buffets because they seem like a much better deal. I'm eating so little here compared to before it's kind of ridiculous.

Arriving in Iceland was so surreal. Something that I had anticipated and imagined in my head for so long. I don't think it's fair to say I'm disappointed, but it's definitely different from what I expected.

I need to do more research and stop being lazy and lying around. ahaha. I need to stop being dizzy and light-headed and watch less Jon and Kate Plus 8...